Copying digital content by emulating playing of a recording medium by a player

1. Copying apparatus for copying content from a recording medium carrying content data and navigational command data that determines the order in which a player of the recording medium will access the content data, the copying apparatus comprising:

a reader operable to access locations of the recording medium to read content data and navigation data from a recording medium;

a navigator operable to execute a navigation command in accordance with navigation data read by the reader;

a presentation data storer operable to store content data for recording onto a recording medium; and

a controller operable to control the location of the recording medium accessed by the reader by emulating a player of the recording medium in accordance with the execution of conditional navigation commands by the navigator to cause the reader to follow all navigation paths through the content data defined by the navigation data that are related to player action or user menu selection and to cause the presentation data storer to store the corresponding data for enabling recording of the content data for the navigational paths.

2. Copying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is operable to cause the presentation data storer to store at least one of: the content data for that navigational path; and data indicating the location on the recording medium of the content data for that navigational path.

3. Copying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a recorder operable to record the content data for the navigational path.

4. Copying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the navigator has at least one register corresponding to a register of such a player of the recording medium and is operable to set a register value in accordance with one of the navigation commands.

5. Copying apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the navigator is operable to execute at least one of the conditional navigation commands in accordance with the set register value.

6. Copying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the navigator has at least one register corresponding to a register of a such player of the recording medium and is operable to set a register value in accordance with a navigation command associated with at least one of a selection by a user of one of the menu selections of the recording medium and initiation of playing of the recording medium.

7. Copying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the navigator comprises a virtual state machine and the state of the virtual state machine is determined by a navigation command executed by the navigator.

8. Copying apparatus according to claim 1 , operable to copy content from a recording medium in the form of an optical disc such as a DVD, wherein the navigator is operable to execute program chain, program and cell navigation commands carried by the DVD.

9. Copying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the navigator has at least one register corresponding to a register of such a player of the recording medium, is operable to set a register value in accordance with a navigation command, and is operable to execute at least one of the conditional navigation commands in accordance with the set register value.

10. Copying apparatus according to claim 1 , operable to copy content from a recording medium in the form of an optical disc such as a DVD, wherein the navigator has general parameter and special parameter registers corresponding to the general parameter and special parameter registers of such a player and is operable to set a register value in accordance with a navigation command and to execute the navigation commands in the accordance with at least one general parameter register value.

11. Copying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the navigator is operable to set a register value in accordance with a first program chain command and to execute a conditional navigation command in accordance with a second program chain command.

12. Copying apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the navigator is operable to set a register value in accordance with a first play program chain pre-command and to execute a conditional navigation command in accordance with a title program chain post-command.

13. A method of copying content from a recording medium carrying content data and navigational command data that determines the order in which a player of the recording medium will access the content data, the method comprising:

Accessing locations of the recording medium by a reader to read content data and navigation data from the recording medium;

executing a navigation command by a navigator in accordance with navigation data read by the reader;

controlling by a controller the location of the recording medium accessed by the reader by emulating a player of the recording medium in accordance with the execution of conditional navigation commands by the navigator so as to cause the reader to follow all navigation paths through the content data defined by the navigation data that are related to player action or user menu selection; and

the controller storing, by a presentation data storer, content data for recording onto a recording medium the corresponding data for enabling recording of the content data for the navigational paths.

14. A method according to claim 13 , wherein a register value of a register corresponding to a register of such a player of the recording medium is set in accordance with one of the navigation commands.

15. A method of producing a digital copy of digital content carried by a DVD, the method comprising:

1) a processor executing a command of a first play program chain within a video manager information of the DVD;

2) the processor accessing a destination program chain defined by the first play program chain;

3) the processor executing a pre-command for the destination program chain;

4) recording, or recording a location of, on a recording medium presentation data to be accessed by the navigation sequence during the execution of the destination program chain;

5) the processor executing a post-command for the destination program chain and, in the event that post-command leads to a further program chain, executing a pre-command for that further program chain, recording, or recording a location of, presentation data to be accessed during the execution of that further program chain, and executing a post-command for that further program chain;

6) repeating 5) until a post-command returns to a user options menu; and

7) in the event a user selects a menu option, repeating 1) to 6) until no further menu options are selected or are available, wherein the method emulates a player of the recording medium to follow all navigation paths through the presentation data that are related to player action or the user menu options.

16. A non-transitory storage medium storing processor-implementable instructions to cause a processor:

1) to execute a command of a first play program chain within video manager information of the DVD;

2) to access a destination program chain defined by the first play program chain;

3) to execute a pre-command for the destination program chain;

4) to record, or record a location of, presentation data to be accessed by the navigation sequence during the execution of the destination program chain;

5) to execute a post-command for the destination program chain and, in the event that the post-command leads to a further program chain, to execute a pre-command for that further program chain, to record, or record a location of, presentation data to be accessed during the execution of that further program chain, and to execute a post-command for that further program chain;

6) to repeat 5) until a post-command returns to a user options menu; and

7) in the event a user selects a menu option, to repeat 1) to 6) until no further menu options are selected or are available, wherein the method emulates a player of the recording medium to follow all navigation paths through the presentation data that are related to player action or the user menu options.